TRENTON — The auditorium at Trenton Central High School will be closed until a stress crack in the cement floor can be repaired, district officials said this afternoon.

The crack was discovered earlier this summer when crews removed the seats and wood flooring in the auditorium for repairs, said Dwayne Mosley, the district's director of facilities construction.

Last week a structural engineer was out at the high school finishing up an analysis of the floor and deemed it unsafe, Mosley said.

"It needs to be addressed," Mosley said. "And the district recognizes that some type of corrective action will be necessary."

The iconic 81-year-old high school has numerous problems, including asbestos, drain leaks through the walls and ceiling, and no air conditioning.

The closing of the theater drew an angry response from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Trenton), who called it a "travesty" and said the closure means there will be no students assemblies, plays or concerts for the immediate future. Fall classes are scheduled to begin Sept. 9.

Gusciora has been lobbying for the state Schools Development Authority to speed up repairs at the school or build a new school.

"The state has been obligated by the NJ courts to address school facilities in urban school districts,” he said in a press release. “Unfortunately, SDA has only shown indifference.”

Mosley said the engineer is working on a report that will detail the extent of the damage to the theater floor and determine if the foundation is also a part of the problem. The engineer will also provide information on the cost to correct the problems, he said.

Until the crack can be fixed, Superintendent Francisco Duran has asked that no one be allowed to enter the auditorium, Mosley said.

While the Schools Development Authority funds major repairs and construction in the district, because fixing the floor is an emergency repair it will be up to the district to fund.

The SDA announced earlier this summer that its board had approved a nearly $3 million contract for pre-design work on a range of repairs at the high school.